UK: Special Pakistan blasphemy guests to join events line-up

A father and daughter from Pakistan will be coming to the UK to give first-hand testimony about a blasphemy case of deep concern to the country’s Christian community.

At this stage they cannot be named for security reasons, but more details are due to be released when they arrive in the UK.

They will be accompanied by Father Emmanuel Yousaf, National Director of Pakistan’s Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace – an expert on the country’s blasphemy law and its challenge for minority groups.

The visitors from Pakistan will be speaking at events organised by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, which supports persecuted and other suffering Christians around the world.

Also giving talks will be Sister Luma Khudher, a Dominican, from northern Iraq, who will describe how she and other Christians escaped Daesh (ISIS) in northern Iraq and the return of Christians to their homelands now that the extremists have been forced out.

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Habib Nafali Jajou of Basra, Iraq, is also expected to come and speak, subject to security issues in his city.

Their programme starts in the north-west of England on Thursday, 4^th October before continuing in Scotland.

The events conclude in London where they will be key-note speakers at ACN’s Westminster Event on Saturday, 13^th October 2018 – held at Westminster Cathedral and hall (10.30am -4pm).

At Westminster, they will be joined by BBC religious affairs correspondent Martin Bashir and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Angaelos of London.

Mr Bashir will address issues of Christian persecution and religious freedom today, while Archbishop Angaelos will speak on the suffering of Christians in the Middle East, especially Egypt’s Copts.

• Members of the press are welcome to attend the ACN Westminster Event on Saturday, 13^th October but must register their interest in advance. There may be opportunities to interview overseas guests on the day.
• The other ACN events, at which the guests are due to speak, include in the North-West – Lancaster, (4^th Oct), Shrewsbury, (6^th Oct), Chester (7^th Oct).
• In Scotland, events in Kilmarnock and Motherwell both take place on 8^th
• For more information, or to register your interest, please contact John Pontifex, Head of Press & Information, call 0781 5591427, or John Newton, Senior Press Officer, email  newton@acnuk.org or call 020 8661 5167.